


Home Again

by rowdyhooligan



Category: Supernatural
Genre: F/M, Past Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-09-20 21:13:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17030139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rowdyhooligan/pseuds/rowdyhooligan
Summary: Things lost have a way of coming back to us.





	Home Again

**Author's Note:**

> cross-posted from tumblr: requested by @perseusandmedusa: what about a Human!Gadreel x Soulmate!reader? When Gad died the reader left the hunting life without telling a soul where she went. Years later Gadreel is brought back to earth and looks out for his mate but can’t find her. He can feel through the bond they share she’s alive though, but he needs the Winchesters help. End it how you wish, tooth rottingly-sweet, angsty, dramatic…♥

“So no strange or unusual dreams or visions?”

“No, none that I can recall,” Alisha answered, leveling you with a questioning gaze over her teacup. “Why? Have you been having odd dreams lately?”

Licking your lips, you lied. “Yeah, that’s why I’ve come to see you…to see what they could mean.”

Setting aside her tea, she arranged her many shawls just so. The local ‘psychic’, Alisha played the part to the hilt, draping herself in many flowing, loose fabrics. Having once worked with some of the best psychics in the nation, you were a little leery of trusting her expertise on the subject, but she was the best you could get around here.

“Very well, give me your hand and describe your dreams to me.”

Reaching over the velvet covered table, you let her take your hand in hers, recounting what you’d been seeing. What you didn’t tell her is that these were not dreams, but possible omens. Every morning, you would read news reports about freak weather patterns across the country, accounts of forests where the trees had been leveled to the ground in rings that radiated from a central point. Though you’d left the hunting life years ago, you were still anxious about what this could all mean.

“Well, those certainly do sound ominous,” Alisha exclaimed, bent over your hand, “no wonder you came to me. Hmmm, now this is interesting- you’ll have an unexpected reunion soon.”

You certainly hoped not. Everyone you knew was from your old life, and the last thing you wanted was to be dragged back into action. When you’d left everything behind two years ago, it had been without telling any of your old friends or allies. You simply vanished, heart aching and mind clouded by grief. After drifting for several months, lost and alone, you settled here in this small town, as far from your old life as possible.  

Lost in bittersweet memories, you toyed with the necklace hanging around your throat. A solitary feather dangled from the leather rope, the soft incandescent lights gleaming off of the glossy black. It was a remnant of happier times, days spent with the love of your life. When first gifted to you, you hadn’t known what to say, stunned at the gesture. Angels were incredibly protective of their wings, rarely manifesting them on the physical realm; to hold one of Gadreel’s feathers nearly moved you to tears. Wearing it close to your heart at all times, you hadn’t removed the necklace once in two long, lonely years.

The sound of your name being called startled out of your reverie. You looked up to see Alisha looking on in concern. “Are you alright?”

Her outline was blurry, and you quickly wiped away the tears gathering in your eyes. “I’m fine.”

“Darling, you’re the farthest thing from ‘fine’ I’ve seen all day,” she said, her tone firm but kind.

Inhaling shakily, you responded, “I just- today is…not a good day.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.”

“It’s okay, Alisha, really.”

“If you’re sure.” She hesitated a moment before adding, “It’s not my business, but I think the person you lost would want you to take care of yourself.”

You were surprised she’d managed to pick up on the reason for your distress. Perhaps she had some psychic abilities after all. With a slightly bitter smile, you replied, “Probably…but it’s not like he’s here to give me a hard time about it. But…thank you.”

She gave you a soft, sort of sad smile. “Let’s finish this reading, shall we?”

You nodded, grateful for the change in subject. She meant well, but Alisha couldn’t know how impossible it was for you to pull yourself together. It took all you had to function as well as you did these days. With the two year anniversary of his death upon you, the hollow feeling left by Gadreel’s loss overshadowed everything. It was like the first weeks and months following his death all over again, your days spent in a haze of sorrow. But that was only to be expected when one loses one’s soulmate- one simply couldn’t function without the other.

A lifetime spent in ‘the life’ had left you jaded on the topic of love. Born of a one-night stand and raised to be a hunter by your mother, the idea of opening yourself up to someone and letting them into your heart was downright laughable…until you met Gadreel. Discovering that soulmates actually existed was mind boggling enough, but to find out yours was a freaking angel was a whole new level of surreal.  

And yet, you never once doubted his startling proclamation. Stumbling across the angel while investing a freak meteor shower, you’d just… _known_  he was it for you, from the moment you laid eyes on him. There was a bond, an almost tangible connection that linked you together. Nothing could compare to the elation of finding your other half, a piece of you that was missing until that exact moment. It was a sense of belonging, of having someone to call home…something you never thought you’d get to experience. As cheesy as it sounded, he made your life complete.  

Only to have that sense of fulfillment taken from you. You squeezed your eyes tight at the remembered pain, that agonizing loss lodged in your heart ever since. You’d begged him not to go with his brother, well aware of the other angel’s reputation. He and the Winchesters- those brothers so frequently at the center of chaos- were infamous in hunter circles. Death followed them like a miasma, striking down friend and foe alike, and you were terrified of Gadreel’s name being added to the list of their victims. But your pleas fell on deaf ears, and he reassured you he would return to your side, that ‘nothing could tear you asunder’. He had lied.

The avalanche of painful memories was too much, a vice wrapped around your chest threatening to squeeze the air from your lungs. In your darkest moments, when you couldn’t sleep and the long days stretched on endlessly, you wished you’d never met Gadreel. You wished for the days when you were still just a regular hunter, ridding the world of the monsters that went bump in the night.

But clutching at Gadreel’s feather like a lifeline, you couldn’t wish for that now. No matter the gaping emptiness, you wouldn’t trade the joy and light he’d brought into your life during your short time together. The memories you’d made together were the best defense you had against the lonely nights.

“Perhaps it would be best if we cut the reading short for today,” Alisha suddenly suggested, eyes soft with pity.

Retracting your hand, you nodded in agreement, anxious to get away from that look. “That- that sounds like a good idea.”

Making your goodbyes, the drive back to the flower shop where you worked passed in a blur. Equal parts disgruntled you’d wasted your lunch hour and shaken by the surge in memories, you tied an apron around your waist, losing yourself in busywork. Normally, you found solace in the shop, the flowers reminding you of the many stories Gadreel told you about the Garden. Unfortunately, it was a slow day, and the infrequent customers were not enough to keep your mind occupied. Your thoughts turned time and again to the omens, and to how much you missed your angel.

The long afternoon dragged to an end, and it was finally time to lock up for the day. Flipping the sign on the front door, you went to retrieve a vase from the back cooler, intent on using it for a display the next day. The bell above the door chimed, signalling a customer. You called out over your shoulder, “I’m sorry, we’re closed.”

A muffled reply came, the voice too low to hear properly. Vase in hand, you exited the cooler, ready to tell whoever it was to come back tomorrow. But the words died on your lips, the vase slipping from icy fingers to shatter against the floor in a shower of glass. You didn’t notice, reeling in disbelief at the sight before you. It was impossible; there was simply no way Gadreel could be standing there, tall and handsome and  _alive_.

“I’m dreaming,” you whispered through numb lips, “you’re not here.”

He stepped forward, the look of adoration sliding from his face when you took a step back. Swallowing hard, he said, “It’s no dream, my light, I assure you.”

“Then I’m hallucinating,” you countered flatly, “I’ve finally gone off the deep end. Or, or a djinn managed to grab me.”

He shook his head insistently. “No, my love, I am here and very much real, I swear it.”

“But how,” you questioned, voice cracking, tears burning your eyes. “How can you possibly be real? I…I felt you die.”

He flinched as though your words caused him physical pain. Hands held out in supplication, he took a cautious step forward. “My Father. He has changed from the god he once was, and longs to make things right for His children. He has raised others as well; I believe the effects have been noted by your news reporters.”

“The omens,” you whispered in realization.

He nodded. “Indeed. Rest assured, I am here and I will never leave your side again.”

Frozen with shock, you watched him come closer, approaching you as one would a skittish animal. Stepping carefully around the glass shards littering the floor, he slowly reached out with a hand. You flinched in surprise when he made contact, his skin warm and solid to the touch. With trembling fingers, you brought your hands up and gingerly cupped his face, a sob torn from your lips at the scratch of stubble against your palms. He was alive. He was alive.  _He was alive_.

Heedless of the broken glass, you flung yourself forward, his arms wrapping around you to hold you tight. Burying your face in his shirt, tears of relief fought their way free as you held on for dear life. Gadreel pressed his face into your hair, his own tears damp on your skin. The familiar scent of sunshine and musk surrounded you, a scent that meant safety and comfort. For the first time in two agonizing years, you felt complete.  

“I thought I’d lost you forever,” you confessed in a broken whisper, “when you went with Castiel, I was so afraid. And then you didn’t come back, and there was no sign of you, I just…I knew you were gone.”

“I’m so very sorry, my love,” he murmured into your hair, “I never wanted to leave you, but Metatron set a trap for us. He was ready and imprisoned us in the dungeons. I- there was no other way. Please, I beg you, forgive me.”

You clung to him tighter, fingers clutching at his back. “Don’t you ever pull a stunt like that again. D’you hear me?”

“Never, never.”

“I don’t- I can’t go through that again, Gadreel. I can’t lose you a second time.”

He pulled away over your protests, drawing back enough to take your lips in a hard and desperate kiss. You responded to him immediately, opening under the insistent prodding of his tongue, relishing the familiar taste and feel of his mouth against yours. The bond connecting you pulsed with energy, blazing to life once more and pushing out the empty loneliness. You’d never thought to have this again, and didn’t want to waste a single moment of it.

Eventually, the need for air grew too great and you were forced apart. Panting, he rested his forehead against yours, the pounding of his heart heavy against your chest. Holding you tight, he said, “You will never lose me again, my love. Never. I will not squander the gift my Father has given me, this second chance to be happy with you. And there is no force in this world or the next that can tear me from your side- this, I promise you.”

“I’m gonna hold you to that,” you warned, “I mean it, Gadreel.”

“Of course, my light,” he replied, sealing the promise with another kiss, losing yourself in each other. Breaking free, he continued, “There is something you must know.”

Thrown off by the hesitant note in his voice, you asked, “What, Gad? Whatever it is, you can tell me.”

Running his thumb along your cheek, he answered, “When my Father resurrected me, it was…without my grace.”

“You’re- you’re human?”

“Just as human as you are. I will grow old, dear one, and it is my greatest desire to do so with you. I would spend the rest of my days at your side, if you will allow it.”

Your eyes widened in surprise. “Are you asking me to marry you?”

“I am,” he confirmed, light and hope shining in his eyes, “if you will have me.”

“Of course,” you answered, elation bubbling up inside you. “As soon as we can get you a fake I.D., we’re heading down to city hall for a license.”

“There is no need to delay, love. When I first woke to my newfound humanity, I sought you out immediately, but was unable to find any trace of you. I went to the Winchesters for assistance, and they were kind enough to forge the appropriate documents for a new identity, as well as help me locate you.”

“They did?”

“Yes…once I made my intentions clear, they were more willing to lend me their aid.” He paused, bringing a hand up to stroke the feather dangling around your neck. “Things will be different now, I know this. There is much that I must learn about being human, and I ask that you be patient with me. But one thing that has not changed, nor shall it ever, is my love for you. From the moment I first opened my eyes to this new life, my only thoughts have been of finding you and being together once more. We have lost enough time, beloved, and I don’t wish to delay a single moment longer in making you my wife.”

It was getting difficult to see past the tears of happiness, and you brushed them aside with an impatient hand. “Like I’m gonna say no to my soulmate. But it’s late, Gad…the offices are bound to be closed by now.”

He swore softly in Enochian, face twisting into a scowl. “I would have arrived earlier had it not been for the need to eat and sleep and relieve myself; maintaining this vessel is much more difficult without my grace.”

“It’s okay,” you assured him, chuckling at his petulant frown. Forcing him to meet your eyes, you said, “They open at eight tomorrow morning, and we’ll be first in line, I promise. And it’s not a vessel anymore, Gad, it’s you- taking care of yourself comes first.”

His glare softened. Taking your hands in his, he pressed a kiss to the open palms. “How fortunate I am to have such an understanding soulmate. It is a blessing I shall strive to be worthy of everyday of our lives together.”

Something cool slid down your finger. Glancing down, a thin silver band rested on your left ring finger, inlaid with protective runes and sigils. “It’s beautiful.”

“As are you, my light.”

“Flatterer.”

Leaning forward, you took his lips in another kiss, pouring the depth of your love into it. Gadreel responded in kind, kissing you until you were breathless. Here among the shattered glass and flowers, sheltered in Gadreel’s arms, the missing piece of you slotted firmly back into place. You were home again.


End file.
